


Freedom Upon Flight

by Art_Is_A_Form_Of_Anxiety



Series: Upon the Shadowmoth [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bounty Hunters, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, Found Family, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Night Terrors, Past Character Death, Protective Siblings, Siblings, Tatooine (Star Wars), no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22872322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Art_Is_A_Form_Of_Anxiety/pseuds/Art_Is_A_Form_Of_Anxiety
Summary: The Shadowmoth Crew is met with the opportunity to find freedom away from their home planet. Will they succeed? Or have they already bitten off more then they can chew?
Relationships: Lepia Optera/Palakwi Seku
Series: Upon the Shadowmoth [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1632688
Kudos: 3





	1. Bounty

The twin suns of Tatooine were blazing hot on her skin as they lowered upon the horizon. The musky stench of the rotting bantha carcass stung her nose. It had been a long and torturous day. Lepia had set up camp after clearing out a Tusken Raiders outpost alongside Axolt, and the rodian had gone further into the outpost to collect the bounty whilst she sought out a good place to set up camp before the long trek back the next day.

She laid out two bedrolls and collected some old fabric and wood from the outpost to set ablaze for the evening, pausing to admire the famed sunsets of her home planet. 

Hearing annoyed grunting and the deadweight drag of a body, she turned around to see her brother dragging the unconscious form of the bounty to the camp.

“Easy catch?” She asked Axolt, lighting a sparkstick and watching the small fire slowly igniting.

The rodian grabbed a coil of rope from the supplies, binding the bounty’s wrists and legs. “Yeah, he was already knocked out.” He lisped, moving to sit by the fire. 

“You should practice the accent,” Lepia said, poking the flames with a stick. 

“I’m trying my be _s_ t” The rodian spoke slowly. “It take _s_ practice.” He crossed his arms and pouted, furrowing his brow.

“Did you find any food in the outpost?” The human asked. 

Axolt shook his head. “It was jus' day old womp rat carcasses, I assumed we'd just buy something when we drop off the acquisition.” The rodian stated. He eyed the campsite wearily, leaning the body of the man on a rock and sitting by the fire.

Lepia nodded, turning from the fire to return her gaze to the nostalgic sunset. Soft purples and yellows seeped into oranges and reds, and the twin suns bled mirages upon the desert earth. Lepia relaxed at the sight, thinking back to when she, Axolt, and Zi’veri would sit on the roof in the evenings and reflect on their shared day over dinner. She felt Axolt’s stare on the back of her head.

“I still miss them.” Axolt mumbled quietly. He was cleaning his weapons, taking each one apart and wiping down all the blood and dust.

Lepia exhaled shakily, keeping her eyes on the sunset. A soft smile split her mood. “We would sit on the roof-” 

“And Bantha would order us to come back down.” Axolt grinned slightly. “And Zi’veri kept telling them to check back in 5 minutes.” He chuckled, “and they would do it cause they couldn’t refuse a command.”

Lepia smiled at the memory of the rusty old nurse droid. “And he’d return nearly 5 times in a row.” She frowned “But then Zi’veri always had to go back to check up on Rhara cause he’d start a coughing fit.” Axolt’s smile dropped at the mention of Rhara, and a storm of emotions crossed the rodian’s face.  
  
“Rhara” He murmured. 

“Axolt, it wasn’t anything you could change.” Lepia interrupted his thoughts, her voice raised in concern. “We were just kids.” She looked to the shaking rodian, moving to pull him into an embrace.

“I... I could have done something!” The rodian murmured, accepting her hug quietly. “Zi’veri cared!” The rodian leaned into her shoulder. “ _He sacrificed everything for us._ ” He choked down a sob. “For Rhara... For Bantha.” 

Lepia held him quietly, rubbing calming circles into her brother’s back. A small tear trailed down her face. “And he’d be proud to see us today.” She murmured. “They’d all be proud Ax.” She smiled softly. “It’s our job to hold ourselves up to that.” 

Axolt sniffled. “Yeah.” He eventually left the hug. He wiped the tears from his eyes and steadied his breathing. 

Lepia backed away back to her bedroll, patting him on the shoulder sympathetically before burrowing into the rough bag of padded cloth and closing her eyes. It would be another long day tomorrow, and the suns had already set. She heard Axolt shuffle quietly before she was engulfed in silence, and sleep tugged gently at her senses till she accepted its numbing embrace.

\---

_There was a loud bang, and several screams cut short by gunshots and wet slashes. There was a metallic shout in binary cut off before haunting bellows of victory echoed through the desert town and Lepia was ushered inside by blurred faces. Axolt was shaking and crying and had run to the arms of Rhara, her guardian._

_The nautolan enveloped the three of them in an embrace before ushering the two siblings into the back of the building through what felt like near-endless hallways and doors, Zi’veri stood guard behind with a blaster gun, to the surprise of Lepia. She knew not to ask questions to the oddly scarred Twi’lek, as he had told her multiple times before. _“Don’t ask questions around here.”_ He would always say. _

_Axolt was shaking, and Rhara had to hold him close and cover the rodian’s snout gently, as not to alert the raiders of their presence. The sky was red._ _  
__  
__There was a collection of thumps against the towering front door._ _  
__  
__Lepia flinched._

_Once her, Axolt, and Rhara were safely in a storage closet, the front door had already been broken down, and two tall raiders had busted into the room, breaking fire upon their surroundings. Their eyes were a deep, piercing red. Their clothes were stained and old._ _  
__  
__The room was aflame, and the furniture was being upturned._

_Zi’veri shot bravely at the sand people, his aim true and steady. A shot grazed his lek and he cried out in pain. It was too late._

_Rhara was shaking, and Axolt was still sobbing loudly, repeatedly crying out in fear. The room was far too big, and the sky was far too red._

_A raider shot Zi’veri in the chest and the twi’lek shouted out in pain, falling to his knees with a thump._

_There was far too much red, seeping and sticky and everywhere. It seeped through Lepia’s clothed and skin, blinding her already narrow vision. There was another shout, from Rhara, drowned out by that awful red. Lepia screamed and cried out Rhara and Zi’veri’s names. Dark shapes lurked in the sides of her vision. Lepia choked out a sob, running as fast as possible. _Run, run, run._ _

_Zi’veri was dead on the floor, blood pooling that deep and sickening red. His eyes were blank and glossed over. Lepia choked down a sob, turning the other way. Rhara ran to grab Zi’veri’s blaster, there was a cry from Axolt, and a loud explosion. Lepia shouted, grabbing her brother’s unconscious body. She sobbed and dragged her brother away, and her surroundings grew dark. Axolt was crying out Lepia’s name. Everything was starting to fade, and Lepia clawed through the rapidly disappearing vents, the explosions started to fade, replaced by concerned and repeated murmurs of her name by a familiar voice._

“ _Hey, hey...”_ _  
__  
__“Hey_ , Lep, you’re safe, Lep you’re here with me, we escaped, you’re alive, you're fine, we escaped.” She was awoken gently by Axolt's worried mantra, and the rodian pulled her into a hug.

“I miss them.” Lep murmured. 

“I miss them too,” Axolt replied. “But we need to deliver the bounty remember?” He placed the tracking fob in her hand and Lepia pocketed it. 

“Yeah...” Lepia exhaled shakily. 

Axolt patted her shoulder before turning to the now conscious and gagged acquisition. “Good morning sweet sir!” He grinned.

The man grunted, unable to escape or talk.

“We’ll be taking you to your lu _x_ uriou _s_ de _s_ tination.” Axolt lisped.

Lepia rolled her eyes, packing her bedroll onto her speeder.

“Who’s taking the bounty?” She asked Axolt.

“You can take him, he stinks like bantha hide.” The rodian muttered, readying his speeder.

Lepia scoffed at the rodian, who as a species was well known for their pungent stench. “Yeah sure, sure thing.” She shook her head, bemused.

She grabbed the bounty by the scruff of the neck, who protested loudly with muffled yells. “Oh come off it! Save your voice for Fal.”  
  
The bounty squawked indignantly from behind his gag,   
  
She kicked the bounty in the shin, grumbling before tying him to the back of her speeder securely. “And don’t think about escaping.” She added, glaring at him before mounting the speeder and nodding to Axolt.

The rodian sped off in the general direction of Mos Eisley, and Lepia followed close behind.

\---

Once they had reached the spaceport, they parked the rented speeders, stepping off and untying the bounty.

Lepia unbound the bounty’s legs, she spoke sternly. “Let’s go then, shall we?”

The bounty only grunted behind his gag. 

Axolt placed his long-fingered hand on the back of the bounty’s neck to guide him along, multifaceted gaze scanning the crowds warily.

The bounty hunters calmly walked through the twisting streets and alleys, with only the occasional glance cast their way.  
  


Once they reached the specified location, Lepia took out the tracking fob, handing it to Axolt. She gazed around the alleyway, there were several womp rats in the corner shuffling around the rubbish bins, and across were two closed metal doors opposite of the doorway they stood in. 

The bounty was scrambling now, and Lepia sighed before knocking him out with a swift hit to the side of the head and moving to catch the limp body. Lepia narrowed her eyes, glancing at the entrance to the alley and back. Axolt jumped to the side when a tattletale droid extended from its hole in the door, looking them both over with disdain before returning to its space.  
  
The door opened with a hiss.

Lepia and Axolt hesitated before entering. The door closed behind them and Lepia tensed, but they walked slowly toward a table lit by warm lamplight, with several vacant chairs around it. 

“Sit my sweethearts, please.” A sandy toned twi’lek murmured, pulling out chairs for the two of them. Her green eyes were illuminated by the warm table lights, and her grin was unmistakably wide.

Lepia and Axolt took their seats, Lepia silently categorizing each guard by the difficulty to kill, and Axolt awkwardly studying the grains of sand upon the stone table.  
  
An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Lepia glaring at the air and Axolt staring blankly ahead. The bounty was slumped vaguely in the chair between them both.  
  


“You did good work today.” The twi’lek praised them.  
  


Lepia nodded curtly, returning her cold gaze to the twi'lek. “We have your bounty.”

The twi’lek gestured with her lekku and two scruffy guards grabbed the bounty and dragged him to another room, the door slamming behind them.  
  
The beeping fob in Axolt’s hand grew silent.  
  
  
“Kriff.” Axolt whispered.   
  
Lepia sunk lower in her seat, gritting her teeth. "Come on Fal, we did the job."  
  


Fal Joko crossed her legs and leaned forwards, a bemused look on her face. "Mhmm." She murmured.   
  
  
The twi'lek slinked around the table, her green eyes far too analytical and cold. She gently pinched Lepia's cheek, looking her over. "Oh dear, you look like a beaten loth-cat." She frowned, licking her thumb and wiping a smear of crusted blood from the human's nose.   
  


Lepia grimaced and sighed exasperatedly. “Please Fal, we just need the credits. You’ve done so much and we’ve repaid you ten times over.” The human crossed her arms, leaning back in the seat.  
  
  
Fal moved on to Axolt, and when the rodian flinched from her touch she backed away, grinning. "Are you working on your accent dear? You'll thank me later when the jobs come running, they appreciate hunters with at least a little bit of charm."  
  
  
Axolt looked like he was about to throw up, but to his credit, he stayed icily still. Quiet and _far too tired_.  
  
  
Lepia looked like she was about to rip the twi'lek limb from limb, glaring daggers at Fal as she moved back to her seat.  
  
  
"So, Lepia." The twi'lek started. "I've got a couple deals you can take care of. Or a hunt if you aren't too beat from the last."  
  
  
Lepia glared daggers into the table, jaw clenched and eyes narrowed. "I'm. Not. Beat." She gritted out. "Do you have any off-planet jobs? We can take the Shadowmoth and be much quicker than your normal grunts." She spat out.  
  
  
“Lepia dear, so quick to flee.” Fal smiled sweetly. “Why not stick around with the family?” She gestured vaguely, the others in the room refusing eye contact.  
  
  
Lepia gritted her teeth. “Each new cycle with your lot of sleemos is one less cycle free.”

Axolt stifled a gasp. Fal clenched her fists.  
  


“One last job.” The twi’lek frowned. “Then you’ll be ’Free’.”

Axolt’s eyes lit up at that. Before he sunk back into the chair at the dismissing wave of Lepia’s hand.

“What’s the job?” Lepia asked warily. 

The twi’lek grinned. “A besalisk slaver off the outer rim. Goes by the name Droll Jakrell.” Fal slammed the table, making Axolt jump. “This is your final test my darlings.” She grinned. “Kill him, bring back the fob, and you'll both be free.” She tossed them a bag of credits that clinked heartily when Axolt caught it.

“We’ll make you proud,” Lepia replied.  
  
Axolt placed the credits safely in his bag. He glared at the unmoving guards as he and Lepia walked past them to return to the baking heat of the spaceport.

"One last thing." Fal murmured sharply.

The siblings turned back to look at the crimelord, annoyance evidence on Lepia's face and concern on Axolt's.

"I trust you two will not mess this up."

\---

The Shadowmoth loomed above the two siblings, it’s main hatch opening with a soft rumble as they boarded. 

“Axolt.”  
  
Axolt turned to look at Lepia, his galaxy-esque eyes wide in question.  
  
  
“I know it’s... hard for you.” She said, “and it’s best to not get under her skin,” Lepia continued. “But you don’t have to do _everything_ she says,” the human patted him on the shoulder as she passed. “She's a psychotic sleemo who could care less about your future.” 

Axolt sighed, shaking his head. “Everything counts to the last credit, whatever it is, I’ll try my best to earn her trust.” He shrugged. “Fal is just... she knows what's best for us.”  
  
  
Lepia choked down a laugh, gesturing vaguely. “The damn crime lord was this close to killing us then and there!” She pointed at Axolt. “You could see it in her eyes!”  
  
  
Axolt shook his head. “This is the last job, then we’re free.” He started climbing the cargo ladder to the cockpit. A sharp laugh stopped him in his tracks and he turned to look at Lepia, her head in her hands.

“I’m sorry you have to go through this,” Lepia muttered softly. She looked to the alarmed rodian. “I swear.” She chuckled. “I’d tear her apart limb by limb if it’d mean we were truly free.”  
  
  
“This is the last job under her.” He repeated quietly.  
  
  
“If we don’t die doing this!” Lepia retorted, before pausing. “Do you even know-” She inhaled a shaking breath. “Who Droll Jakrell is?” She shook her fist. “This is a damn revenge mission. We’re doing the worst dirty work! This would be a death sentence to even Fal herself.” 

Axolt shrugged. “More the way to prove ourselves.” He turned away and continued to climb the ladder to the cockpit.  
  
Lepia sighed, shaking her head in defeat.  
  
\---  
  
It had been 2 days in hyperspace, the two had spent their time cleaning weapons and organizing supplies. Axolt had dug out an old Sabacc set, and they had spent a few hours betting ship duties over the card game when a loud thump interrupted their play.  
  
“D’you wanna check that out?” Lepia turned to look where the noise came from, placing her hand face down on the dejarik table. Her eyes narrowed.  
  
  
Axolt stood up, alarmed. The thump had come from the cargo bay, which supposedly only held mostly empty boxes or supplies. No further noises sounded, and he quietly wondered if it was merely one of the empty cargo bins.  
  
The two of them went to the cargo bay warily, stepping quietly as not to alert whatever had made the noise.  
  
Axolt could sense body heat emanating from something behind a bin. 

  
It was alive.  
  
  
He signaled to Lepia and circled around the opposite way, keeping count of each possibility. He kept his hand near the blaster on his belt and stepped into view, emerging from the shadows of an empty crate.  
  
Lepia raised her eyebrows but didn’t comment, keeping quiet and assessing the situation.  
  
  
The entity was a hulking devaronian, skin red as spilt blood and piercing golden gaze resurfacing painful memories of endless sand and searing heat.  
  
Axolt nearly choked in surprise, drawing his blaster.  
  
“Jec Dhir.” Their eyes met.  
  
Axolt hated the hurt enveloping him. The devaronian stared back, silent and still.   
  
  
Lepia bounded over the crate and landed a heavy blow behind Jec’s horns with the butt of her blaster. The devaronian slumped to the ground with a grunt, unconscious.  
  
The siblings looked at eachother in bewilderment. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jec Dhir and the siblings travel to Nar Shaddaa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter! Promise the next couple ones will have more in store.  
> Kudos and Feedback help me to improve my work, and are highly appreciated.

When Jec opened his eyes he was met with the familiar faces of two angry siblings. He laughed nervously, raising his hands in submission only to realize they were cuffed, and that he was very much tied to a cargo crate.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Axolt spat out. Lepia kept her hand on the rodian’s shoulder to steady him but held a similarly wrathful glare.

Jec huffed, shrugging. “She told me to tag along!” He glanced between the two. “I swear I never volunteered to be stuck with you two.”

Lepia narrowed her eyes, stepping forwards, her durasteel talons clicking menacingly on the floor of the ship.

Jec sighed. “Come on Lep, your scare tactics don’t work on me. If you so much as beat me, Fal would have a _kriffing_ fit.”

Axolt glowered from beside Lepia. “As soon as we exit hyperspace you’re getting dumped on Nar Shaddaa.”

Jec rolled his eyes. “I was ordered to follow you guys. If it’s not beside you I'll be around anyway.” He sat up. “So it’s best if I simply tag along. Correct?”

The siblings sighed exasperatedly.

Axolt turned and climbed the ladder out of the cargo bay. Lepia started to untie him whilst muttering threats under her breath.

He sighed, rolling his wrists once they were unbound. He took a moment to stretch. “Kriff you sure know how to tie someone down huh.”

“I’ll gag you if you open your mouth again,” Lepia grumbled, wrapping the binds into a bunch she hung onto the wall of the ship. “Hope you packed rations, we aren’t sharing any. Refreshers up top, spare bunk are in the third room.” She sighed. “Don’t touch anything or Axolt will take personal joy in flaying you.”

Jec seemed unfazed by the varying levels of threats, humming to himself as he took back his vibroblades from where the siblings had previously placed them after he’d been knocked out. He knew not to speak anymore.

Lepia climbed up from the cargo bay, leaving Jec alone to his thoughts.

\---

Once they had gotten out of hyperspace, Jec had eventually made his way to the cockpit to lurk behind Axolt and Lep as they planned their landing.

“Jec If you so much as breathe near me I will shoot you,” Axolt grumbled, flicking some switches on the control board.

Lepia rolled her eyes as Axolt piloted the ship into landing, bracing herself as the ship came in contact with the surface. The ship jolted, and Jec squawked indignantly as he was tousled by the movement. The siblings held onto their seats and Axolt went through the routine of landing.

“Alright.” Lep asserted. “Once we’re out we fuel up, rest, and leave the next day. Got it?” She narrowed her eyes, glaring between her brother and his self-proclaimed nemesis.

Axolt and Jec hummed in affirmation, and Lepia turned to comm the hangar operator.

\---

It was a dry evening on Nar Shaddaa. The smoke and fumes of the cityscape left a rancid taste in the mouth and the air clung to the skin like a rabid womp rat. The odd trio stepped off the ship and was met with a togrutan child holding a datapad and stylus.

“Uh…” Lepia looked slightly confused. “Do you know where Saal Vera is?”

The child looked at her with a blank stare.

Jec Dhir scoffed, shouldering past Lepia and kneeling. “Hey, kid. You know where mum is?”

“Mum is busy, you’re supposed to sign for the landing bay rent.” The kid seemed unimpressed and looked to an albeit concerned Axolt. “You.” She pointed. “Sign it.” She shoved the datapad and stylus into Axolt’s arms and the rodian scrambled to catch the devices.

“How do we know it’s not a scam,” Lepia asked.

“She’s a kriffing kid, sis.” Axolt sighed, examining the datapad and contents.

“Just sign the damned datapad so we can get some food,” Jec grumbled.

The kid waited impatiently as Axolt signed the datapad, taking the device once he was done.

“24 hours, right?”

The three of them nodded.

“Sounds good, ships will be safely locked away unless given signature and ship name, if you don’t check-in or leave before the 24-hour mark, your ship will be sold for scrap.” The child rattled on their terms and conditions for a short minute, before waving a tired farewell and walking out of the bay.

Lepia shook her head in disbelief, muttering to herself before slinging her bag and vibro-glaive onto her back. “Kriffin kids…”

Axolt snorted, stepping aside as he fell into a short laughing fit. “The great Lepia-” He wheezed. “-feathers ruffled by a-” He choked on another laughing-wheeze, sputtering and leaning on his concerned sister for support. “-A kriffin kid!”

Jec rolled his eyes, grabbing his bag and heading for the door. “Come on you two.”

“Alright! alright!” Lepia chuckled, gently shoving her brother away and walking ahead.

Axolt shook his head with a smile, following the others.


End file.
